Axar.az presents an article "Thanks, Joe" by John Samuel Tieman.

Joe Biden could secure a Democratic Party victory in 2024. How? He should not seek re-election. The entire dynamic of the presidential race would then change. Democrats transform into the party of youthful progress, while Republicans are led by the 77-year-old sentient Cheeto, the candidate revitalizing actual Nazi slogans about how immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country”.

Biden has two models to consider. One is Pope Benedict XVI. When Benedict retired, I borrowed lines from the Bard Of Avon and thought, “Nothing in his papacy became him like the leaving of it.” Who gives up that magnitude of power? For whatever else you may think of Benedict, his resignation was noble. The other model is Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Pres. Obama encouraged the elderly Ginsberg to resign her position as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Obama would have replaced her with a liberal. Ginsberg declined Obama's offer. Then Pres. Trump won. When Ginsberg died, Trump appointed one of the most conservative justices ever to sit on the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett.

Some would argue that Joe Biden still has a lot left to do. I would argue that Biden has done more than most two-term presidents. Here are just a few items. The Inflation Reduction Act is historic. It tackles numerous issues. It enacts sweeping measures that address global warming. The act reduces the deficit It makes the largest corporations pay their fair share of taxes. It enables Medicare to negotiate the price of certain high-cost drugs, and, as just one example, caps the monthly price of insulin at $35. The Infrastructure Law is once-in-a-generation legislation. The law provides for the rebuilding of roads, bridges, ports, airports. It upgrades public transit and rail systems. It replaces lead pipes, provides for clean water, cleans up pollution, and provides affordable high-speed internet to every family in America. It delivers cheaper and cleaner energy to both households and businesses. In addition to these two accomplishments, there are 11,000,000 new jobs. According to the Department of Commerce, unemployment, at 3.5%, is at its lowest level in 54 years. This list could go on. But I choose these to illustrate a simple point. That's not a bad legacy.

The question arises, of course, if not Joe then who?

Vice President Kamala Harris naturally comes to mind. The nation has already voted that she is qualified to be president. That said, she doesn't exactly excite people. Polls suggest she’s the front-runner in a post-Biden world. However, ABC's 538 opinion analysis gives Harris a 39.1% approval rating, not exactly overwhelming.

Gavin Newsom is the governor of California. He has gone to great lengths to build his national profile. His impressive portfolio includes being lieutenant governor, mayor of San Francisco, a San Francisco Supervisor, and a successful businessman. He is a compelling speaker and is Kennedyesque handsome. His positions are liberal.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, of Michigan, is well-regarded. She won two gubernatorial races by about 10 points each time. Her approach to governance is pragmatic. Her national profile is quite positive. She is admired for how she handled COVID. Most consider her left-center.

Amy Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator. She is well respected in the Senate. As of this writing, she has sponsored or co-sponsored 111 pieces of legislation that have become law. She ran for president in 2020. She is pro-choice, supports LGBTQ+ rights, and is vocally anti-Trump. On an informal note, she is quite funny at times, not a disadvantage during a contentious debate or a hard-nosed negotiation.

J.B. Pritzker is the governor of Illinois. Pritzker comes from one of the wealthiest families in America. If you have ever stayed in a Hyatt hotel, read “McCall's” magazine, or cruised on a Royal Caribbean ship, you've met the Pritzker family. He is solidly pro-choice, has supported measures to combat climate change, and signed a bill to ban assault weapons in Illinois. In an era of xenophobia, he has taken measures to help immigrants gain citizenship, and get access to health care, education, jobs, and legal services.

Each of the people I've mentioned also has the advantage of coming from states with large
populations.

I hasten to add that this list is by no means exhaustive. There are many other interesting possibilities. Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary Of Transportation, is one example. I've chosen these folks to simply illustrate that, if the current president steps aside, the field of possible candidates is both substantial and numerous. And, compared to Trump – young.

But about Joe. Pres. Joe Biden defeated an authoritarian, some say a fascist, Pres. Donald Trump. Insurrectionists have gone to jail. Pres. Biden kept alive representative democracy. He worked within the norms of governance. Our gratitude is immeasurable.